Take the Who Cares About This Planet? Challenge

The folks behind iQ, the smartest cleaning product line out there, encourage you to put on your eco-thinking cap and share your bright ideas for environmental change as part of this video contest.

Thu, Oct 20 2011 at 8:55 AM EST

Remember iQ, the brainy, cartridge-based line of nontoxic household spray cleaners that I had the chance to test drive back in June?

Since then, I’ve fully integrated iQ cleaners into my arsenal of homemade and commercial green cleaning solutions (yes, these affordable, plastic-waste-eliminating bad boys do actually work ... just ask my bathroom) and I must admit that I’m quite the fan. Now, People Planet, the Toronto-based company behind iQ, is back not with an innovative new product line but with a video contest, the Who Cares About This Planet? Challenge, that’s focused more on green caring than on green cleaning.

Launched by People Planet late last week, the Facebook-based challenge revolves around this simple-to-grasp concept:

In an age of greenwashing, sometimes we find ourselves asking, who cares? We think that as individuals, and as communities, we can’t make a change that would actually make a difference for our planet.

So why bother?

Because all you need to inspire change, is an idea.

People Planet is inviting you to flex your eco-inspirational IQ by sharing your bright idea for environmental change in 1 to 2 minute video form (read the official contest rules and download an entry toolkit here before getting started). Once you’ve created your video masterpiece that details how you plan to make a positive eco-impact in your community, upload it for all to see on the Who Cares About This Planet? Facebook page. Submissions will be accepted until Nov. 13.

Next, 15 to 20 finalists will be chosen by an advisory committee (including yours truly) on the lookout for ideas that incorporate innovation, creativity, environmental impact, community benefit and feasibility. After the finalists are chosen, the videos will enter a public voting period from Nov. 16 to Dec. 12 to determine the winner.

The video entry with the highest number of votes at the end of the allocated voting period will be awarded the grand prize: $1 for each vote received (up to $5,000) to help turn that bright idea expressed in the video into a reality. That said, it really helps to spread the word with this contest.

Says Ami Shah, brand director of iQ: “Inspired by our experience with iQ, we hope this Challenge will encourage others to also challenge convention and develop creative and innovative green solutions to foster sustainable change in our communities. We want people to realize that with the right ideas, we can actually make a difference.”

So put down that bottle of nontoxic cleaner for a spell, put your inspirational thinking cap on, and get caring.